Sarah Prayer update below
Bread today 10-12
Tonight 6-7:30 Dinner Huddle restart. All welcome!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good Morning Serving Purposeful Partners! This salutation comes from two of our devotionals this morning (below) that really speak into what God has been revealing and who we are and how we are growing as God's Body! Check them out prayerfully and share what you are hearing/sensing with Sarah, me or your partners.
I began my quiet time reviewing a report from the American Pastor's Network compiled by one of my LBC professors about the State of the Church 2024. For the first time in history less than 50% of Americans attend church and less than that regularly or as little more than consumers and not as servants of God. PTL that is not the case with our church! We are pretty healthy, populated with servants and growing! That is a BIG God thing worthy of much thanksgiving and praise. And yes, it's ok to pat ourselves on the back a bit and celebrate how we are growing to be the people we are created to be and more like Jesus and doing what we are created to do individually and as His Body! Yes Thanks Lord! We celebrate You and what You are doing in our midst and the servants You have raised up at St. Matts! Please continue your good work in, through and around us. Keep us serving purposefully, partnering together and going to make disciples of Jesus. May we continue to grow as Your Good News Delivery Company and do our custom made parts in that. Lead us to Your perfect plans and will. Thank You! Amen!
The report gives some ideas for where we should be heading from here for the Church to become relevant and thriving again. The first two are Pray. remember everything starts and prospers through prayer. For some of us our primary role in God's Good News Delivery Company is that of being a pray-er. Interceding for God to come, to lead and for His will to be done. Also, covering and protecting our servants. Praying for Him to lead us to those He is drawing and sending to us to lead to faith and His ways (even 30 new attendees this year). That leads to the second opportunity to focus on: making disciples. Jesus commissioned us to do so. Over the years the Church has lost drive, focus and direction to do so. It's time to refocus on the primary purpose of the church: growing God's Kingdom and making disciples. We are focused on that this year as we seek to bring it alive in '25. We are gifted, equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live and love more like Jesus and that includes making disciples of His and reproducing what He is doing. We need each other to do this well. Purposeful partners that serve God and others. We are on our way. PTL!
Something to keep in mind is that discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if He were you (me). How's you journey towards that going? Who can you partner with to earnestly pursue Jesus and His plans and way? That is our focus for this year. Join us! Soon we will begin some small groups exploring our spiritual gifts and how to partner together to grow God's Church and encourage and pray for each other. Please consider joining us! Watch for details in the next few weeks for some opportunities to join a small group to process and plan and enact your gifts.
The closing thoughts from the report is that the Church needs to change and adapt to the times to connect to new people and families who have little or no connection to God. It involves going back to things the Church used to do to make reproducing disciples and to raise up prayer. God's always doing something new and He is leading us to His old things done in new ways as we seek Him and partner together to make disciples of Jesus. As we do, His Kingdom will come and flourish again and we will become His dynamic movement led by pastors and laity with a burning passion for God and missionary zeal to reach the lost. Amen! It's really time to stop being God's Church in name only and to step more fully into our roles as His Good News Delivery Company that makes reproducing disciples of Jesus in the way He and the early church did. Are you ready? I am and am praying earnestly for God to draw us and lead us and for revival to come. Come and see what He has planned for you and us! And keep praying for His Kingdom is at hand! Revival is around the corner as we and other churches earnestly pursue God and His new things for us! PTL! I am really excited to witness and celebrate all He is about to do as we humble ourselves, trust and obey!
UR: Choosing to Serve
Jesus said, “Who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” - Luke 22:27 (NRSVUE)
As I grew older, playing guitar, which had been my passion since the age of 13, fell by the wayside. When I was younger, I played in bands and would “rock out” nearly every night. But I stopped having time for the hobby, and ultimately I lost touch with the instrument altogether.
A few years ago, when I was 61, a friend who played with our church’s contemporary praise team approached me and asked if I would be interested in joining. I was nervous. Could I play anymore? If so, would I be good enough?
I took a chance and attended a rehearsal. I held back, lowered my volume, and waited to see if I could add to the music. The group was welcoming, patient, and kind. They supported me, and eventually I became a member.
I now have a better understanding of what Paul meant when he wrote, “There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.” What we bring to the church is not as important as simply bringing something. God can speak through whatever we bring.
Today's Prayer
Dear God, thank you for the gifts you give to each of us and for the opportunity to serve alongside others. Amen.
The Word for You Today:
Good evening, everyone!
I have several updates that are in need of our prayers:
Dean received a request for prayer from a friend: Jaydyn is struggling with understanding God's love and other personal things in her life. May we lift her up in our prayers that she will see and understand how much she is cared for.
Another prayer request from Dean - Lindsay's sister was involved in a hit and run on Saturday night. She is in the hospital with internal bleeding, shrapnel in her forehead and eye. She is currently stable but still has a long road of recovery ahead of her
Prayers for the assistant chief of Coopersburg and his family. Last night the family's home burned. The family is safe
but their home is in bad shape.
Church family members - there are several of our church family members that are dealing with the Nonovirus, RSV, COVID and sinus infections. Please keep each other in your prayers.
Kay Behle will be having carpal tunnel surgery on Friday. Prayers for healing and for the surgical team that will be caring for her.
Tomorrow is Bread Ministry day - pray for those that will enter our doors!
Sunday is our Congregational meeting
Welp, everyone, stay warm over the next few days!! If anyone is in need of our prayer support, let me know and I will make sure that it gets out to our warriors.
Blessings,
Sarah
